Abstract:

Students’ post-intervention perceptions of an event provide insight relative to their understanding and appreciation of the intervention, as well as the impact thereof. Experience and anecdotal evidence indicate that first-year students experience challenges in terms of adapting to our university construction management course environment.

The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of a one-day orientation team building event directed at enhancing first-year students’ ability to manage themselves, work as a team, interface with each other, strategise, plan, evolve tactics, and take action that would lead to their team winning the ‘amazing race’ style event.

A quantitative approach using a questionnaire survey in a South African university after the completion of the event determined the perceptions of the students.

Findings include that the team building activities contributed to enhancing participants’ ability to communicate with first-year colleagues; built confidence in their abilities including that of completing a task, and enhanced participants’ alternative thought processes, ability to be creative, strategise, evolve tactics, take action, and plan. The students benefited from, enjoyed the team building activities and believed it contributed to improving their time management skills.

Based upon the findings, conclusions are that the one-day first-year orientation team-building event had the desired impact in terms of the development of the first-year students’ abilities.

Recommendations are that the one-day first-year orientation team-building event be staged on an annual basis, and a study on the impact of the intervention on student performance be undertaken following the completion of a full academic year and again post-graduation.

Keywords:

Construction Management, Orientation, Students, Team building.